RT Journal
A1 van der Linden CJ, Jansen PF, van Geerenstein EV, et al
T1 Reasons for discontinuation of medication during hospitalization and documentation thereof: A descriptive study of 400 geriatric and internal medicine patients
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 2010
FD June 28
VO 170
IS 12
SP 1081
OP 1083
DO 10.1001/archinternmed.2010.159
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2010.159
AB
Medication is often changed or discontinued during hospital admission, and this is especially true for medications prescribed to elderly patients.1 However, after discharge further changes to medication regimens are not always intentional and may be due to poor communication.2 For example, in an earlier study, we found that adverse drug reactions detected during hospitalization and requiring cessation of the causative drug were poorly communicated to primary care professionals (general practitioners and pharmacists), leading to a rate of represcription of withdrawn medication of 27% during the first 6 months after discharge.3 The study highlighted the need for better communication of reasons for discontinuation of medication. Adequate communication of these reasons can only exist on the condition that these reasons are well documented. Our experience in daily practice is that such documentation is often inadequate. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the frequency of reasons for discontinuation of medication and the documentation thereof in hospitalized patients.